LASA session to explore aged-care design

Leading Age Services Australia’s (LASA) current online event, Ten Days of Congress (12–23 October), will include a session aimed at helping non-designers understand how to harness design to help the seniors and aged-care sector deal with the many issues it is currently facing.

Presented by James Kelly*, Seniors Living & Care Partner at ClarkeHopkinsClarke Architects, the session — Designing for community, connection and sense of place — will explore innovative design as a powerful tool for change.

The highly visual how-to session draws on varied success stories from coastal communities to suburban contexts. It shows how progressive design helps create vibrant, integrated seniors’ communities that embrace residents’ diversity, defy ageist stereotypes, embed community connections and create a strong sense of place.

Kelly will outline:

• the powerful role of storytelling, scale, identity and context in high-impact design for seniors;
• a meaningful stakeholder engagement process that unifies residents, staff, local community groups and others and ensures the design reflects their rituals, relationships and lifestyles'
• a holistic design approach that combines architecture, interiors and urban design and creates site-responsive, active, seamlessly integrated communities within communities;
• a rigorous methodology for Creating Vibrant Communities with proven social impact.
   

The session will show how successful projects — including Baptcare Wattlegrove in Lalor, Estia Health in Maroochydore and The Bays in Hastings — use specific design concepts, features, interior palettes and landscape design to reflect local character, integrate into local communities, and create stronger relationships and better places to live and work.

Stories of diverse residents whose ideas and talents have shaped the design and activation of successful projects will also be shared, including:

• Terry, a green thumb from Queensland, who created a spectacular edible garden with herbs, fruit and veggies at Estia Health on the Sunshine Coast and now supplies some of his produce to the catering team for use in residents’ meals;
• Maria, a keen artist from Lalor in Victoria, who runs something of a small business at Baptcare Lalor drawing portraits for fellow residents.
   

Concluding with a lively Q&A, this session is a must for anyone with an interest in how designing or renovating seniors’ facilities can create more progressive, flexible, inspiring places to work and live.

What: Designing for community, connection and sense of place, presented by James Kelly
When: Thursday, 22 October 2020 at 1.50 pm (Day Nine of LASA’s Ten Days of Congress: Innovation, Research & Development)
Web: https://lasacongress.asn.au/james-kelly-clare-hopkins-clarke-architects/

*James Kelly is a Partner at ClarkeHopkinsClarke Architects, where he leads the Seniors Living & Care Sector. His team champions considered, holistic design and intergenerational communities offering diverse choices, higher quality and stronger community connections for seniors at all stages of life. James began his architecture career in commercial, heritage, community and multi-residential design but was drawn to design for seniors by the changing demands he could emerging see for more innovative, community-focused approaches that better suit diverse residents, families and communities.